I’ll be honest with you: I have avoided making most of these things because I am chicken. I’m intimidated by some of them which is why this project is the perfect way to confront these fears take a risk. It could all go horribly wrong, and in front of the whole entire internet. But it could also lead to triumph.

I have to say that part of the reason I’m brave enough to attempt this is thanks to Bri at Sarcasmically and her NaDeNeFoMo project.

Cookbook has proposed participants make their list of 25 Things to Cook, and we’ll take time each month to cook one item off that list and share the results on our blog. If this sounds like a fun challenge to you, head on over to her blog and sign up by posting in her comments.

My List of 25 Things to Cook

1. Bagels – Making bagels is also on my Life List
2. Chile Mole – a Guatemalan dish that I’ll have to learn from Mama Juani
3. Black Beans – prepared the Guatemalan way via instructions from Mama Juani
4. A cake – I don’t know which one. Any one I make myself will be an accomplishment
6. Sushi rice – this has seemed like a magical art to me
7. Chicken Picatta – I freaking love it
8. A steak – steak has always been so prohibitively expensive I’ve never bothered.
9. Sugar cookies with Frosting – because I have some cookie cutters I’m dying to use
10. Sunday Salsa – I’ve been meaning to make Sunday’s salsa forever now
11. Sunday Fruit Pie – Like a Home Run Pie, except delicious
12. Chicken nuggets – I want to make a huge batch and freeze them
13. Sweet Potato Fries – the deep-fried version.
14. Pasta – I can only imagine fresh pasta as sublime
15. Vegetable Tempura – It’s true, I’m afraid of deep frying. But I love tempura.
16. Udon or Ramen – basically I want to create a delicious, brothy, Asian noodle soup.
17. Miso – I’ve never been able to recreate restaurant miso.
18. Cream Cheese Wontons – my favorite restaurant (now closed) used to serve these
19. Fondue – I own multiple fondue pots for chrissake.
20. Flavored Popcorn – I love me some poppin’ corns
21. A Classic Sauce of Some Sort – Yeah, I’ll figure this out later.
22. Grated carrots and beet salad – the staining power alone has held me back from this.
23. Pizza – Anthony wants to make this, too.
24. Mushroom Muffin Tartlet – It has mushrooms, so I’m all over it.
25. Swedish Christmas Bread – I’m the oldest daughter in my Swedish family, so I owe it to Saint Lucia to make this.

This is a very cool list! I’ve doodled with a couple things on that list. Are the Guatemalan black beans the ones you “roll” over and over? Those are crazy delicious.
Now you have me thinking about bagels.

Hmm…maybe I should create my own list. I’ll tinker with it and post it up…whether I can get to it…another story. Hmm…